Monday, January 21, 2013

While trotting down the hall together towards the playroom
Patient: Why are you bouncing? Are you a frog?
Bethany: No. I'm a rabbit.
Patient: Oh, ok. I'm a dog! Woof Woof Woof

Patient: going up to an unfinished puzzle on the table This puzzle is broken. The kids broke it!!!
Bethany: It's ok, we can fix it
Patient: goes over to work bench and picks up a plastic screwdriver and wrench It's ok. I can fix it with these.

Heading back to her room
Patient: Running down the hallway RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN trips and falls flat on face
Bethany: Are you ok?!?!
Patient: Yes. I'm fine. I'm just having fun.

It's encounters like these that makes the rest of the day bearable sometimes.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

L: Well look at you, don't you look very cute in your new glasses!
Patient: I had to get glasses because I can't see far away. My brother got glasses because he can't see close up. You wear glasses, Miss L, do you need them for far or for close?
L: I wear them for both.
Patient. (stunned silence) Wow.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Conversation with a frequent flyer, aka a patient who comes in a lot, (3 years old) who was in for a quick check up:

Bethany: So, how is your new baby sister?
Patient: She's good. But she cries. A lot.
Bethany: Really?
Mom: She tells everyone 'This is my baby sister J----, she only cries. She doesn't talk like me, she doesn't know any words. So you should play with me'
Bethany: Well then
Mom: I mean I guess we've moved forward, because before she referred to her as 'it'
Bethany: It?
Mom: Yes as in. "if you want to play with me now, you have to put IT down"
Bethany: Oh dear
Mom: and considering before the baby was born she was throwing her doll out of the stroller violently in order to make way for her other toys, I think we got off easy

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

I'm really bad at Lent. Super bad, some would say. I always attempt to give something up, but in the process slip up once or twice, feel guilty, and ultimately stop trying. So several years ago I decided instead of giving up a vice for Lent, I would take on a good habit. In other words, last year I decided to be more proactive in reading my Bible, making a point to read a few chapters every single day.

Not only did I manage to keep that task up for Lent (trust me, no one is more surprised than me), it has continued now for almost a year. Over time the formatting changed, but basically every morning as soon as I turn off the alarm on my phone, before I check email, before I look at the weather, I open the Bible app on my phone and read at least three chapters. As mentioned here, one of my goals for the new year was to take the time to actually process what I am reading instead of skimming through it like I normally do.

I've been relatively successful; not going to lie, there have been many mornings I've had to continually remind myself Digest what you are reading, don't just look at the words, but every so often something sticks out to me.

I'm reading at the end of the Old Testament right now. Let me tell you, I thought getting through Numbers/Deuteronomy was a chore, I had never tried reading some of the prophets. Seriously, how many times does one group of people need to get told that they are going to suffer numerous afflictions because of their horrendous behavior?? I have been starting every morning super depressed. So when I got to the book of Jonah the other day, I was excited. FINALLY! A story with some plot and intrigue. Yet as I was reading though, a few details emerged to which I had never before paid attention.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Conversation between elementary school patient and my partner (middle age female)

L: So did the teacher come to see you today?
Patient: Yes, we talked about Christopher Combumbus day
L: Oh really? What did you learn?
Patient: Well, he sailed on the ocean with a lot of ships, and he met the Indians, and he lived a long long long time ago. Did you know him Miss L?
L: (shocked pause) Um no.... he lived a long time before me.
Patient: Oh, then that REALLY must have been a while ago.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Saturday: TREE OF LIFE every year we plant oak trees in honor of the patients who have passed in the last year due to cancer (clockwise): the grove showing trees that have been planted (and growing) for years; a newly planted tree honoring one of this year's patients; a robot and matchbox car truck gracing the foot of the tree honoring a previous year's patient; flower pots placed at the tree of another patient from this year; christmas decorations on a tree

Gorgeous sky, gorgeous weather, afternoon at a local park

Perfect lakeside retreat for reading

Playtime with Lilly outside to soak in more of the perfect weather

Dinner out with a friend and the most AMAZING dessert of my life- half triple ghiradelli chocolate, and half chocolate chip

Sunday: celebrating a friend's birthday

Amazing burgers, amazing ice cream- epic win

Mimosas, disney movies, and jalapeno corn cheese dip with my bestie

I've been struggling a lot lately with the concept of time: not having
enough, feeling like I don't use mine appropriately, experiencing the
sensation of my life passing me by. Coincidentally (or not so) my
pastor's sermon this morning was on just that: time. He talked about how
we as humans have been learning to slice time in smaller and smaller
pieces (days into hours into quarter hours, to minutes, and now
nanoseconds); this sensation actually causes us to feel like we have
less time instead of more. (I'm boiling down an entire 40 minute sermon
into two sentences) His suggestion was that we take more time to relax,
to unwind and to experience each moment instead of trying to control it. I think that was a task well accomplished this weekend.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Double dose of kiddo humor today, because I seriously can't make this stuff up, although this did happen a few months ago:

Conversation with a patient as she returned from a long procedure, still slightly sedated:

Patient (as she is left on the stretcher in the doorway while the staff preps her room): It's ok, you can totally just leave me here in the middle of everyone's way, I'll make it work.
Bethany: How was the procedure
Patient: Weird.
Bethany: How so?
Patient: There was a cat in the operating room.
Bethany: A cat?
Patient: Yep. His name was Felix
Mom: I mean, the anesthesiologist's name was Felix (insert Bethany trying not to laugh)
Patient: Yeah, that's what I meant
Bethany: Well, aside from roaming felines, how was today's procedure compared to yesterday's?
Patient: Oh today's was much longer
Bethany: Why was that?
Patient: well because today they gave me a (In full singsong voice) Duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh. CATSCAN

Conversation with a little boy who was being discharged after two weeks in the hospital:

Bethany: Are you excited to FINALLY go home today?!?!
Patient: No. I don't wanna go home.
Bethany: What? Why? I thought you were going to go to Disney next week!
Mom: Tell her what you told me.
Patient: Don't wanna go to Disney, your playroom is more fun.

I'm going to admit something: just like pretty much any other female (I'm stereotyping) blogger and/or DIY enthusiast out there, I am head over heels obsessed with John and Sherry Petersik of Young House Love.

Call me a crazy fan girl, but for the past few years I have read their blog on a daily basis. More recently, as I was on bed rest due to a very painful wisdom teeth extraction, I endeavored to read their entire blog from start to finish. Safe to say, I admire them greatly, and the task was accomplished in record time thanks to their affable and eclectic writing style

So when they wrote a book, and announced a book tour, I may or may not have squealed out loud upon discovering they had a stop scheduled for Miami. Finally living in this city pays off!

Saturday, January 5, 2013

George*: Hey, what are these? (holds up hand to show white spots, aka leukonychia, all over fingernails)
Bethany: I don't know, what do you think they are?
George: My Abuela says they are little white lies and they show her when I'm not telling the truth.
Bethany: (while avoiding eye contact with Abuela so as not to burst out laughing) Oh really?
George: Yes, let me see your hands... why don't you have any when I have so many??
Bethany: Maybe it's because I don't lie
George: yeah right
Bethany Well maybe it's just not something I get
George: Yeah, I guess it's cuz you're not Cuban.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

It's that time of year, it's resolution time! I always stink at this, I have lofty goals that are never actually met. I work at it for a week or two, then something happens, and suddenly I give up entirely. I've decided 2013 is going to be a year of growth and change, and that requires significant work. So to force myself to think creatively, I decided to come up with a list of things I want to work on. 13 of 13. They aren't resolutions per se, I'm not going to beat myself up if they aren't met exactly, in fact most are not exact goals. However, I intend to aim for the spirit of each item. In no particular order:

1. Write 13 blog posts a month- I love writing; it's how I best process my experiences. I know I don't have a significant following, but I never started a blog intending for it to be big. It is a (public) forum for me to express myself, to work through issues, and to commentate. If other people gain some insight from my thoughts, then great. However, I have been inconsistent in the past and I want to break that habit. I think it's unrealistic to think I'll actually write a post every day, inspiration doesn't always hit that often. However, 13 posts a month is roughly 3 posts a week. Will I meet that number? Probably not. I want to be more deliberate in my efforts is aLL.2. Walk 13,000 steps a day.- Let's be honest, a "I'm going to exercise regularly" will probably not be realistic for me to state. However, most health experts recommend getting at least 10,000 steps a day. Given how much I walk at work, this shouldn't be too difficult, but I want to focus on improving my activity level at a realistic and beneficial pace. 3. Clean out/Give away 13 items a week- I'm an emotional packrat. I have trouble getting rid of things that have any sentimental value. My goal is to weed through my belongings and really take a hard look at what I own. Do I really need the top that I wore on a significant occasion but not again in the next four years? Do I need to hold on to books I know I will never read again? 13 items is arbitrary, but I want to consistent in clearing out and getting rid of things.4. Visit 13 new places (cities; historical sites; etc).- I love travel and new experiences. I want to see more, more of my own city, more of my own country, more of the world even? This is a jolt to my psyche to make a deliberate effort to make plans for these trips instead of just waiting for them to happen.5. Make 13 new friends- Shouldn't be too difficult, but will be necessary. I'm faced with the reality that the majority of my social network in Miami is graduating/leaving in May. If I end up staying here i need to branch out and meet new people. If I happen to leave at any point in the next year (you never know, anything can happen!), then I want to make a conscious effort to reach out and build a new network.6. Try 13 new foods- Im very unadventurous with my eating habits. It's time to expand my palate and try new foods7. Spend 13 minutes a day reading the bible- Last year I set a goal during Lent to read the bible every day, and surprisingly I have kept it up. Every morning (more or less) I read approximately 3 chapters. I am on goal to finish right around a year after I started. However, I often just 'read' without really processing. It becomes a chore to get through sometimes. So this goal is to not rush, and take time to really absorb what I am reading.8. Read 13 classics- There are so many amazing books I have never read but always mean to. My goal is to read a different classic every month or so. Dickens, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, etc. The only catch is they must be something I haven't read before. Suggestions are appreciated.9. Sew 13 new items- I love sewing, and Im actually quite good at it (with practice). I get frustrated by how much effort it takes to get everything set up and taken down, so without specific projects (aka my sister's wedding) things don't happen. I want to be more deliberate and use my fabulous sewing machine more often.

10. Spend 13 minutes every evening straightening up- I can get lazy at times, particularly after a long day's work. Usually i let things pile up for a day or two and then do it all at once. I would like to be deliberate about taking time every day to get things organized. 11 Give to 13 different charities- I think giving financially is a great way to shift from materialistic thought and to help others. I want to expand my giving, share my blessings, and give to those who need it more than myself. I'm also going to be more deliberate about tracking my spending.12 Ask 13 people how their day is going every day- aka be more deliberate about talking to other people and getting to know them. I am an open book with my own life, but I think it's better that I spend more time listening than doing the talking. 13. Enact 13 acts of random kindness-One of my favorite stories from
this past year was the time God encouraged me to give away a very
significant chunk of money, even when I couldn't really afford it at the
time. To this day the person has no idea it was me, but I've felt
blessed seeing what a difference God made in her life through me. I want
to make an effort to find more of these opportunities. It's not about
giving money away, it's about going out of my comfort zone for someone
else. So creativity is a big part, as well as keeping my ears and eyes
open for situations as they present themselves.!

So that's it. My 13 goals for 2013. I'm going to update at the end of every month where I am at with each in an effort to keep myself accountable. Happy New Year everyone!